The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Courts admits pressure is on but insists United are on the right path
Dundee United boss Tam Courts insists he is thriving under the pressure of satisfying the club’s topsix ambitions.
United are on their worst run of league defeats in 16 years after losing six in a row.
But they remain in a challenging position to get back into the top six as they sit just three points adrift of Aberdeen.
They will take a break from league duty tomorrow as they travel to Kilmarnock in the Scottish Cup seeking a first victory since a 1-0 win over the Dons in November.
And while United fans are keen for Courts’ team to return to winning ways, he’s happy to feel the heat.
“I feel pressure in this job because I want to be successful,” said Courts.
“I want the players to be successful and I want to deliver for the club.
“It was always going to be a challenging year.
“We have evolved the squad and it’s an ongoing process.
“We are committed to the path we’re on.
“I have total confidence we are only one win away from going on a run.
“We have the same amount of points now as we had at this stage last season.
“But there is frustration at the run we’ve been on because we want to be higher up the table.”
United will be backed by a large travelling support at Kilmarnock (see story right).
And with the new limited edition third kit selling out in under 20 minutes on Monday, Courts has thanked the fans for their backing.
“We will have a big crowd going down to support us,” he said.
“I think it’s about fourteen hundred tickets sold, so it’s going to be up to us to deliver.
“The fans have been great.
“They have been very supportive and we need them now because we are on a bit of a sticky run.
“The cup is huge for us. “We did better in the Premier Sports Cup this season than previous years so we want to do well in this one too.” n Kilmarnock have signed Dylan Tait on loan from
Hibernian for the rest of the season.
Hibs bought the 20-yearold from Raith in the summer before loaning him back to the Fife club.
The midfielder – who joins Hibs team-mate Daniel Mackay on loan with Derek Mcinnes’ team – made 80 appearances for Rovers, scoring eight goals.
Tait told Kilmarnock’s website: “The chance to join a massive club like
Killie, who are looking to gain promotion was vital for me.
“The manager had a big part to play in me coming here because he’s worked at the top level in Scotland and has helped to improve lots of good players.
“I’m really excited about the opportunity of working with him and hopefully he can help develop my game and we can be successful together at Kilmarnock.”